Ships in a non-bending mailer, not an envelope, plus sealed in plastic.

The DeLorme Publishing Atlas and Gazetteer provides a wealth of information for trip planning and back country access. Each volume contains topographic maps with unbeatable detail plus gazetteer information on great places to go and things to do. Detail includes railroads, back roads, dirt roads, elevation contours, remote lakes & streams, boat ramps, public lands for recreation, land use (forests, wetlands, agriculture), trailheads, campgrounds, and hunting and fishing spots.

Gazetteer information includes information on hiking, bicycling, museums and historic sites, campgrounds, scenic drives, unique natural features and state and national parks.

DeLorme Publishing, soft cover, 156 pages, 11 x 15.5 x .5 in., color maps. DLAK
Price: 13.95 USD

Alaska/Yukon Railroads: An Illustrated History

Gold! The name of this precious metal has always incited a fanatical rabidity in the hearts of fortune seekers, and when the gold started flowing from the Yukon, the age of the Klondiker was born and the rush was on. Many fortunes were made and many more were not, but the demand to move people and materials remained insatiable. Wagon roads had been built to meet the transportation demand, but by 1898 several companies were vying to build the first railroads. Ultimately, three companies - one American, one in British Columbia, and the third in the Yukon - joined forces to create the road that couldn't be built: The White Pass & Yukon Route.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson gave the nod to what would become the 471-mile-long Alaska Railroad connecting Seward with Fairbanks. The work was slow and dangerous, and some bridges even today remain engineering marvels, but the line was ultimately completed. Both the White Pass & Yukon and the Alaska Railroad are still around today, still working for a living, as well as enjoying a brisk tourist trade. But Alaska has seen dozens of other railroads come and go over the years. While these lines were smaller and lesser known, each has its own story to tell. Nome gave birth to railroads that spanned the flat, spongy tundra. Farther south, several lines sprang up to reach the rich copper deposits in the Copper River Valley. Various stock-selling schemes accompanied the hype, and ultimately two companies watched as their crews stood toe to toe in a confrontation that left several wounded and entire communities in an outrage.

Back in the Klondike, other short lines were started up to meet the needs of the expanding industry, including tiny tramways that used animal power and wooden rails. Katalla became a bona fide boomtown as companies scrambled to build lines to tap the areas oil and mineral resources. Other regions in Alaska that held the promise of vast riches and there were many also drew the attention of hopeful railroad schemes, despite any difficulty or circumstance.

This has been the spirit and promise of Alaska and the Yukon, with their natural wealth held in check by almost unimaginable terrain and weather challenges. Alaska/Yukon Railroads, An Illustrated History, is the story of all known railroads in the area, including several that never left the drawing board. Over 200 photographs give you a real sense of the challenges, attempts, successes, and failures of the brave souls who stepped forward to conquer the last frontier. Most chapters include complete rosters, showing the wide variety of motive power used to operate the lines.

Originally published in 1981 as Rails North by Superior Publishing Company, Seattle, WA. The book has been completely overhauled and updated to the extent that Oso Publishing felt a title change was in order.

Contents: Ch. 1: White Pass & Yukon Route, pp. 1-56; Ch. 2: Taku Tram, pp. 57-60; Ch. 3: Whitehorse Tramways, pp. 61-62; Ch. 4: Klondike Mines Railway, pp. 63-68; Ch. 5: Klondike Short Lines, pp. 69-74; Ch. 6: Alaska Central Railway, pp. 75-82; Ch. 7: Alaska Northern Railway, pp. 83-86; Ch. 8: The Alaska Railroad Commission and the Birth of the AEC, pp. 87-92; Ch. 9: Alaska Railroad, pp. 93--144; Ch. 10: Tanana Mines Railway, Tanana Valley Railroad, pp. 145-154; Ch. 11: Yakutat & Southern Railroad, pp. 155-158; Ch. 12: Valdez and the Keystone Canyon Caper, pp. 159-170; Ch. 13: Katalla, Where the Rails Meet the Sea, pp. 171-178; Ch. 14: Copper River & Northwestern Railway, pp. 179-202; Ch. 15: Wild Goose, Geese or Gooses , pp. 203-210; Ch. 16: Council City & Solomon River Railroad, pp. 211-216; Ch. 17: Seward Peninsula, pp. 217-222; Ch. 18: Minor Railroads in Alaska and the Yukon, pp. 223-232; Ch. 19: On the Drawing Board, pp. 233-240; Index, pp. 241-248.

Oso Publishing, hard cover in linen with a dust jacket, 256 pages, over 200 high-resolution photographs, plus maps and complete locomotive rosters. OSO146
Price: 29.95 USD

SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America: Pacific Northwest USA

Covers the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington after the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific merger.

Includes detail maps of:
Alaska: Fairbanks, Juneau, Katalia, Kennecott, Valdez and Yakutat
Hawaii: Kauai, Maui and Oahu
Oregon: Albany, Cascade Loops, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Portland, Prineville and Salem
Washington: Aberdeen, Centralia, Everett, Longview, Maple Valley, Mount Vernon, Palouse, Paso-Kennewick, Stampede Pass, Stevens Pass, Walla Walla and Yakima
78 maps total

This atlas is designed to provide a single source of reference to the North American rail network, past and present in greater detail than has readily available until now. Each sheet is drawn to a constant scale of 8 miles to 1 inch for easy distance comparisons with 2 miles to 1 inch enlargements of complex areas.

All extant rail lines are shown together with stations, junctions, yards, principal bridges and tunnels. Former lines, now abandoned, are also shown. Ownership, current and past, and trackage rights are shown. An index of stations is included.

Steam Powered Video, soft cover, 76 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .25 in., printed on heavy enameled paper. SPVATPN
Price: 22.95 USD

White Pass & Yukon Route: A Pictorial History.

A history of the White Pass & Yukon Route in Alaska and Canada.

Contents:
Ch. 1: Gold Rush, pp. 1-4;
Ch. 2: Construction, pp. 5-32;
Ch. 3: Post Construction, pp. 33-60;
Ch. 4: Other Operations, pp. 61-70;
Ch. 5: Snow, pp. 71-76;
Ch. 6: War Years, pp. 77-86;
Ch. 7: Modern Day Operations, pp. 87-94;
Ch. 8: Rolling Stock, pp. 95-108;
Roster of WP&Y Equipment, pp. 109-119;
Railroad Facts, pg. 120.

Pictorial Histories Publishing, soft cover, 120 pages, 8.5 x 11 x .25 in., over 200 b&w photographs. PHP084
Price: 8.45 USD